Kittrell Elementary teaches soft skills with 'Great Shake'

Retired FirstBank Presidnet Chuck Lewis speaks with Kittrell Elementary School fourth-grader Karra Wallis as part of the Great Shake event at the school on Wednesday, March 23.(Photo: Brian Wilson/DNJ)Buy Photo

KITTRELL — After a week of TNReady exams, fourth- and fifth-graders at Kittrell Elementary School had a rapid-fire chance to focus on soft skills in front of 19 local professionals Wednesday morning.

The students had 30 seconds to speak with each of the adults as part of the Great Shake competition.

In that half-minute, students were judged on skills like eye contact, a handshake and holding a conversation, said Ashley Whitaker, an interventionist at the school who helped organize the event.

"Such a big part of being successful is not just what you learn, but how you communicate ideas to others," Whitaker said.

School officials decided to organize the Great Shake event after learning about it from the Ron Clark Academy, an Atlanta-based school for middle-schoolers.

Even at an elementary school level, Kittrell principal Ynetia Avant said students should know these skills.

"When they leave us, I want them to be ready for the real world," Avant said. "We want to teach them what it's like to make a first impression, make good eye contact and have a good job."

Students from five classes and professionals with backgrounds ranging from law enforcement to banking to publishing interacted in a "speed meeting"-style way through the first round of the event Monday morning. Both adult and student had half-a-minute to introduce themselves and strike up a conversation before students went to the next table.

After zooming through introductions, fourth-grader Nathan O'Neal said he was first nervous about meeting the 19 adults but eventually had fun getting to know them.

"I think I learned how to have a great handshake and how to communicate better," he said.

Retired FirstBank President Chuck Lewis said it is good for students to be introduced to interpersonal skills in school. Some of the fourth- and fifth-graders were already impressing him, he said.

"It's very short, but I see they're taking the time to ask about some techniques they can use to be more effective," Lewis said in between 30-second pitches.

The top 10 students selected from the first round advanced onto a semifinal competition where they spoke in front of 10 people in a boardroom setting.

The top three students from the semifinal advance to a final round competition that will include an appearance on WGNS Radio Thursday morning, Avant said.

Reach Brian Wilson at 615-278-5165. Follow him on Twitter @brianwilson17.